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Summary: AN ICONOCLASTIC MASTERPIECE
Review: If Zen can be defined as anything, it is a technique for shattering illusions, and this book shatters a lot of them that have shaped our society. The ideas that most Americans think of as common sense often were first promulgated by some long dead philosopher, like Aristotle, and were accepted by most people only after decades or centuries of conflict and debate. One of the most important things that Buddhism in general and Zen in particular teaches is that language is only a tool, that words themselves are at best approximations of what we are trying to describe or to convey, and that we need to remember that in everyday life. Human language can never accurately describe any absolute, universal truths. It only follows that anyone who claims to be able to fully describe how the world works is full of excrement and should not be followed. Pirsig knows this, and never says he knows how to explain it all, and readers who want to have it all explained are going to be disappointed or even angry. His defense of the Sophists comes 2000 years too late, but it is the best one I, who once actually studied Greek philosophy in depth, have ever encountered. At the same time, Pirsig recognizes the benefits we have reaped from Platonic and Aristotelian logic, such as the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, the scientific method, the internal combustion powered engine, and technology in general. This book certainly doesn't trash technology, it just points out that technology is another set of tools to make life easier for us although sometimes we screw up how we use it, just like we screw up when we think we can explain God or Absolute Truth or the Ultimate Whatever with any accuracy. We can only do the best we can, and Phaedrus does, as does his son. To all of the critics of this book, what is wrong with that?
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Summary: If you have started the book, finish it.
Review: I started this book four different times before making the commitment to finish it. I cried at the end.
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Summary: First year college students must read!
Review: There is no book I would recommend more highly to those about to enter the society of education. Pirsig's discussions of Quality in the classroom, overcoming writer's block, and the pursuit of a truer knowledge are all priceless. Keep in mind that this book feels like what it's about: a cross country road trip. Be ready for the highs and lows of travel, and watch out for a very lengthy discussion on some rather lofty matters; it's tough to get through, but once you do, you'll be glad you made the effort.Read this book twice: you will learn from it.
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Summary: An Intellectual stroll through a swampy morass
Review: I found this book to be quite tiresome and ineffectual. Despite all the hype leaped upon it, and having read numerous reviews, I failed to see the relevence between Zen and the shock treatment given to the main character. I simply got halfway through the book and had to move on to something more interesting. nuff said.
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Summary: Extraordinary
Review: I read this book many years ago, while still in my teens. It had a profound impact on me. I don't think this is for the serious philosophy student. But I do recommend it as a starter title in the area.
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Summary: Typical Boomer Indulgence
Review: I thought this book would be interesting and thoughtful but instead it seems to be more of the usual meism that permeated the Boomer generation and has so negatively affected my own generation. No wonder we're all screwed up!
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Summary: Classic
Review: There are many devotees to this book and I consider it a must read. Some of my friends regard Pirsig's work as a bit too wacky, but I found it to be enjoyable. I must confess that I put this book down many times before I finished it, but once I was done with it I was glad I had made the journey.
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Summary: A philosophy for every day men and women
Review: I first got this book in 1993 after the title caught my eye in the book store. I had never heard of it before and thought that the title was worth the price of admission. It was, and then some. I still have this book and even have some passages underlined. Since I first read this book, I have heard alot more about it. Other reviewers have knocked Pirsig for lack of originality even though he states from the beginning that nothing in the book is original, just loosely organized into one volume. He has also been hit for presentation. The thing to remember is that this book was not written for intellectuals at a university. It was written for common people living common lives. And yes, you will benifit from the advice in this book. When I read it, I was working on weapons/cargo elvators in the Navy. after reading this and trying to impliment some of the ideas in this book, I found my attitude and my work perfomance improve. The proof is in the pudding kids. And for me anyway, this book helped me start to live my life rather than just go through the dull motions every day.
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Summary: The hype is far greater than the book
Review: Many, many people have recommended this book to me as "life changing" etc and there certainly is a big enough following to the book to hype it. There are some good ideas in this book: the ideas on quality versus quantity, some dialectic stuff, etc. However, all the ideas are kind of like ornaments on a Christmas tree. They're decorative and sparkle, but the tree they're hung on is drab and uninteresting. The novel never does much with these ideas other than toss them out at you like confetti. As a piece of fiction, there's not much of a story and I really didn't care much about the "philosopher" at the center of the book. He comes across like a windbag - repeating the same ideas at the drop of a hat. I suspect that anyone who comes to this book full of new-age angst will bring with them all the post-modern spirituality epiphanies they need and attribute them to reading this book. For the rest of us though, it would be better to either read a good fiction novel or purchase a serious book on philosophy.
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Summary: This is, quite simply, the best novel ever written.
Review: Although it is nearly impossible to back up a claim such as the one I made above, I will attempt to do so, with as few words as possible. This book changed my life. It taught me that neither nature nor technology is the key to a happy existence. The key is a balance between the two. Not only do the nameless narrator's encounters with his son Chris, his former self Phaedrus, and his neighbors John and Sylvia teach this, but also his chataqua, "an-old time series of popular talks intended to edify and entertain, improve the mind and bring culture and enlightenment to the ears and thoughts of the hearer." Neither half of the book (story and chataqua) would be complete without the other. The novel itself is the balance between the two. Story and chataqua. Yin and yang. Nature and technology. Perfect.
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